Sewer use fees will be prorated for new accounts opened during a regular billing period. Because sewer use fees for commercial accounts are billed based on water consumption, an average of a similar use of similar size will be used to estimate the sewer use fees until a full six months of water consumption is available.

The administrative charge is for the fixed costs for billing the sewer accounts, account maintenance, and the ongoing fixed costs at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.For further information, please call 406-552-6119 or refer to City of Missoula Resolution Number 7622.

Accounts are billed semi-annually on January 1st (for the months of January through June) and on July 1st (for the months of July through December) of every year. Property owners whose annual bill exceeds $1,000.00 may request in writing to the City of Missoula Finance Department-Sewer Billing that they be billed on a quarterly basis, and must be received at least two months prior to the next semi-annual billing date of either January 1 or July 1.Water consumption records shall continue to be updated on an annual basis as is the current practice. The bill shall be divided into four equal bills rather than the current two semi-annual bills with the exception that the fixed charge per billing will be included on each of the two additional bills to be invoiced. The billing dates for the quarterly billing shall be January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 of each calendar year.

The City of Missoula bears the responsibility of maintaining all the public sewer mains, which is why sewer use fees are assessed to property owners throughout Missoula. The City is also responsible for keeping the treatment plant repaired, improved and operating properly for all current and future users. The sewer use fees are paid by property owners and is the funding source that secures its portion of the sewer main and assures that your property has sufficient properly functioning capacity at the treatment plant.

In accordance with City of Missoula Ordinance No. 2644, Section 13.08.050-The City is obligated to maintain your property’s portion of the main and treatment plant whether the property has made a physical connection or not. It costs the same amount to maintain the main and treatment plant for each property, whether its buildings are connected or not. Not only does every citizen directly benefit from the installation and existence of a municipal public sanitary sewer, but it would not be practical to install a municipal sanitary sewer system for only those who chose to tap into it and exclude those who had not yet actually tapped into it. In the early 1980’s, the Montana Public Service Commission unanimously ruled in favor of the City of Missoula being able to assess sanitary sewer use fees against unconnected properties that have water service or a well connecting to a building and thus are capable of producing sewage and are adjacent to or abutting the municipal sewer lateral line, but are not yet connected to the sewage system

Sewer use fees will be assessed on vacant property because the City is responsible for maintaining the sewer main and treatment plant to assure that sewer service is always ready and available whenever you need it. The only exceptions are: (1) if the sewer is capped off or (2) if the sewer producing building is demolished then sewer use fees are cancelled.

No, your Special Improvement District (SID) pays for costs to install the sewer main adjacent to your property. Sewer connection fees pay to have the building connected to the sewer main and are paid at the time of connection. The sewer use fee (billed separately) pays for the use and maintenance of the sewer lines.

a. In Person- 2nd floor, City Hall. Cash, check, money order or credit card. There is no additional fee for credit/debit cards. Mail to: City of Missoula, Utility Billing Department, PO BOX 31236, Billings, MT., 59107-1236. Please make checks payable to City of Missoula. b. Over the phone- Credit/Debit 406-552-6125. This number is only operational during normal business hours.Mon-Fri 8-5 pm. c. Online-Check and ACH/debit payments go to: http://billpay.ci.missoula.mt.us/

Payments are due 30 calendar days after the billing date. A 1% penalty will be applied to all past due balances the first of each month. Late notices are not mailed. Pursuant to Section 7-13-4309 M.C.A. sewer use fees prior to July 1 each year, if not paid by August 15, will be levied as a tax against the property to which sewer service is furnished. Pursuant to state law, a city may, in addition to pursuing the collection of sewer assessments as a tax, bring suit in a court of competent jurisdiction to collect the amount.